Good Child Care Requires Subsidies

Re “The Real Cost of Child Care,” editorial, Sept. 16:

On Nov. 29, 1987, and January 13, 1992, The Times published editorials on the lack of viable child care for preschoolers and young children after school. The recent editorial deals with the same issue. I responded to the earlier ones with letters published by the paper; it is a sad commentary that in almost 15 years, nothing has changed.

In all three, no mention is given of the extremely low pay, usually with no benefits, that the child-care employee is paid. To paraphrase what I wrote in 1987 and 1992: Unless business, the state and the federal government subsidize child care, we will see the situation deteriorate even further.

In any plans for a decent program, we have to begin with the caregivers; otherwise, we will have just one makeshift, stopgap program after another.

This situation also exists for workers in nursing homes. We seem to provide poorly for those at both ends of the life cycle, who need care the most.

Estelle Waslosky

Brea